Leo Manning (deceased) was born in Perry County, Mo, in 1813, and was a son of James and Elizabeth (Riley) Manning, natives of St. Mary's, Md., from which State their parents immigrated to Kentucky, locating near Lexington.
There James Manning and Elizabeth Riley were married.

In 1802 four of the Manning brothers, Robert, Mark, Joseph and James, immigrated to Perry County, Mo., and settled near the mouth of Apple Creek.
James and Joseph were married prior to their leaving Kentucky, but the other two married in Perry County. They all lived to be old and left many descendants.

James and wife were the parents of the following children: Mary, Nancy, William, Willford, Leo, Elizabeth, Matilda, and James, all of whom married and reared families. The parents of these children located on the farm now owned by Rosetta Hagan, but later found a home where Elizabeth Duvall
now resides, where they spent the remainder of their lives.

In February, 1844, Leo Manning was united in marriage with Lydia McClanahan, who was born in Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., in 1825, and is the daughter of James and Susan (Peyton) McClanahan, who for many years were well known residents of Ste. Genevieve County. Mrs. McClanahan died in 1834, having borne three sons and one daughter. James McClanahan afterward married Matilda Manning, and in 1856 removed to Texas, where he died about sixteen years later. His aged widow, the mother of three children, still resides in Texas.

Prior to his marriage Leo Manning had purchased some partly improved land to which he took his wife, beginning housekeeping for themselves in a little log cabin. Mrs. Manning still resides on this homestead, but to the log cabin in which all her children were born has been added a handsome frame residence.

Leo Manning was prosperous, and at his death, in 1873, left his family in easy circumstances. Twelve children were born to him and wife, six of whom are living. They are Ann E. (Mrs. John S. Hogard), Mary I. (Mrs. Samuel A Ellis), James M., William, Louis R, and Lydia B. The family are intelligent and well respected.

For several years James has been a teacher in the public schools of the county, and in 1882 was elected assessor, and is the present incumbent of that office, having been successively re-elected. William was a student at the Normal School at Valparaiso, Ind., where he took a classical course, and he teaches school during the winter seasons.

The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.

Rankin Family History Project
Sonoma County, California
rfhp@att.net
Design and content by Shirley Ann Rankin